Phil Neville was forced into an embarrassing apology after he was booked for diving in Everton’s Merseyside thriller with Liverpool.

You’re having a laugh: Neville protests his innocence after dive (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

The Toffees skipper was cautioned for throwing himself to the floor late in the first-half of the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park, but the former Manchester United man confessed to his mistake at the final whistle and admitted he got a half-time rocket from his manager David Moyes .

‘It was a stupid thing to do by myself. I thought Daniel Agger was going to come in and take me out. I got a good kick up the back side at half time and I won’t do again, that’s for sure,’ Neville said.

Toffees boss Moyes had publically criticised Liverpool’s Luis Suarez for his persistent simulation prior to the game, and was taunted by travelling away fans after his own player resorted to such tactics.

The game itself sparked into life after 14 minutes when a Suarez drive flew in off Leighton Baines , and despite not being credited with the goal, the Uruguayan took the oppourtunity to mock Moyes on the Everton bench with a diving celebration.

Suarez then made sure he got his name on the scoresheet by glancing in a Steven Gerrard free-kick six minutes later.

Joy: Suarez celebrates his second goal with Skrtel (Picture: EPA)

But the Toffees pulled one back almost immediately thanks to a Leon Osman drive, and Steven Naysmith capped a storming first-half when he tapped home a Marouanne Fellaini cross on 34 minutes.

Suarez thought he stole all three points for the Reds when he poked past Tim Howard deep into second-half injury-time, but the linesman wrongly adjudged the striker to be offside.

After the final whistle, Moyes said: ‘It was a good game, really exciting, a disappointing start but our boys showed great character to come back and I thought we were a bit unfortunate to not to go in 3-2 up at half-time.

‘It was a really good game, end to end, and either team could have won it.’On Suarez celebration, he added: ‘I thought it was great, I would probably have done the same, but he is going to have to dive in front of a lot of managers now.

‘He was a very lucky man to stay on the park because of his tackle. Phil Neville went down too easily so I have had a word with him about it.’

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers expressed his disappointment of being denied a late winner, saying: ‘The goal at the end was clearly a goal and we are disappointed not to get it. I think the linesman gave it but everyone in the ground thought it was a goal.

‘That should have been a goal and an outstanding hat-trick for Luis Suarez.

‘I thought the character and temperment was exceptional. 2-0 can be a difficult scoreline, expecially here when they play long balls into the box, but it was another day of progress for us.’